Get Over
by Doctor Faustus
Summary: 5 times where Kamio Akira fails to tell an oblivious tensai of his feelings. ::Shinji/Akira:: Request: Nyleve
1. A Page of Manga

Kamio could hear the music in his mind now; a calm, contented melody that weaved between the sunlight and piped higher with interest when he caught sight of his target. There was Shinji, pretty and aloof even as the wind lifted his hair in smooth, silky locks. He could just imagine the page of a manga flipping past, a solitary ray of sunlight that graced Shinji's face at a flattering angle, while flower petals drifted and spun in the gentle breeze. Shinji would always be stunning that way.

He braced himself for the inevitable uphill task that would follow. Everything had gone wrong during the past ten times where he attempted to confess his feelings to Shinji. Literally everything, from a clichéd storm that broke them up before the dreaded words could emerge, to the mundane where the table they were sitting at broke abruptly, to the freak accident which involved a clothes peg, his neighbours' cat , and a cream cake. To be honest, he was on the verge of giving up….

Just then, Shinji turned to face him, and a solitary ray of sunlight graced his face at a flattering angle.

…well, almost anyway.

"Hi Akira, there you are. You're late again, but your shirt does look pretty today, with those white frills… I suppose you took the time to dress up and became late in the process. It's alright, I got used to do it, but it doesn't mean that you're let off from treating me to lunch though… "

Kamio sighed. He really did have an uphill task ahead. Reaching out, he nodded and gently steered Shinji towards the expensive restaurant he was so fond of.

* * *

He liked watching the way Shinji ate. He moved steadily from one side of his plate to another, and didn't pick at food randomly like Kamio. He secretly found it adorable how Shinji left aside the hated cucumber sushi and could push the plate towards him with no doubt that Kamio would finish it for him. He didn't think he ever told Shinji that he didn't actually love cucumbers as much as he liked taking food from his best friend's plate.

They met up every weekend without fail, and they went out together to the tennis courts, the mall, the planetarium, and even the beach a couple of times, despite Shinji's complaints that the sunrays were ageing him 2 weeks at a time. During the week, he called Shinji whenever he was feeling low, and it cheered him up to hear Shinji chattering away at him about nothing inconsequential. With anybody else, he would have gotten mad at how self-centred they were. But Shinji's voice somehow calmed him down, and anyway, he always knew when to keep quiet and let Kamio talk when he actually had something important to say. Also, whenever Shinji was feeling particularly generous, he graced Kamio with the opportunity to visit his fair house, and sometimes Kamio barged in anyway just because he felt like it.

Sometimes, he really wondered how dumb Shinji could be.

No normal_ guy _would lie in your lap and read their physics textbook, because that was just well, _gay. _Normal friends wouldn't cook for you when you fall sick, and they would shove you off their shoulders when you fall asleep from the incessant gunfire and thrilling plot twists in the newest Hollywood blockbuster. Normal best friends didn't sit there and risk the cinema attendants chasing them out with a broom, just so they could watch you sleep a little longer. Normal friends didn't watch the other with that specific kind of hunger, and normal friends didn't have to endure an almost torturous but blissful patience in waiting for the right moment to spring the question.

"Shinji, would you go…"

The words died in his lips when the chef cheerfully dumped Shinji's order of chinese dumplings in front of them. The sheer hunger that awoke in Shinji's eyes as he contemplated the newest addition to their flooded table was disturbing to say the least.

"Yes?" Shinji replied affably, his eyes never leaving the plate in front of him.

Kamio sighed.

"Never mind."

* * *

END CHAPTER

A/N: Hmmm...this is my first time writing a non T/F pairing in Prince of Tennis. Any constructive criticism would be very helpful!


	2. Dance Dance Revolution!

"Akira, what are we doing here again?"

"It's alright, I'd be done in a minute, I…ah…just got an urge to dance."

_Oh shit. _Kamio swore inwardly, he didn't know why he hadn't made up a decent excuse in his head before the inevitable question arose. Turning around, he glared reflexively at everyone there when he realized that Shinji was the target of some rude stares and even some sniggers. Not that he could really blame them, considering how Shinji wasn't really dressed for the arcade, with his white collared shirt and tailored pants. Apart from that, absolutely nothing was going to ruin his marvelous plan. He shrugged off his bag and slotted the coins in one after another, ignoring the pained wince from Shinji as loud music began to blast from the DDR machine. If Shinji wasn't going to notice how incredibly talented and sexy he was, Kamio was simply going to have to show him.

"You're dancing to the song……'My Sweet Darlin'?"

Shinji had the nerve to sound amused, the smug bastard. Who the hell did he think Kamio was performing for anyway? He was absolutely the best at DDR and no one dared to challenge him whenever he stepped up to the familiar platform. Judging from the growing crowds around him, it was fairly obvious they knew he was a regular at this. Just Shinji wait, he'd show him a different side of himself!

The music blared from the speakers around him, and Kamio stopped thinking and just _moved._ It was awesome, being in the groove, unable to think of anything but the rhythm thrumming through his veins, the melody ringing in his head as his feet did the talking for him, spinning, tapping, and skipping from one step to another with practiced ease. He barely broke a sweat as he moved, his hands still in his pockets as he strutted confidently through the entire track, earning himself whistles and admiring claps from the audience that cheered him on.

It ended quicker than he thought, and he turned, seeking out the only person whose admiration mattered to him. Shinji was standing at the back, wearing an expression that Kamio had never seen before. There was a certain glint in his eyes that made him gulp, an intensity that caused all attention to fall on him as he stepped up beside Kamio.

"I want to try it too."

* * *

Three consecutive Es later, Kamio was starting to despair for his friend.

"Shinji, just concentrate!" he shouted across, his feet moving in perfect rhythm despite his attention being fully fixated on the other side of the screen.

"I am! It's just that the beats don't even _corre__spond _to the foot pads below, and…"

"…what?"

"Oh geez, this sucks. Why didn't you tell me to step on them when the bars actually touch the line? Really, I should have been informed of these things beforehand, considering how I'd never really played this game before and…"

"Look!"

"At what." Shinji sounded distinctly petulant when he glanced at Kamio.

"You got your first B!"

* * *

By the end of the last song, the crowd had grown till a quick glance around them revealed at least thirty people who gathered to watch them dance. They were in perfect synchronization as they moved together with the beat, each with their different style. Kamio's personal style blurred the border between a cocky swagger and a sharply elegant flair, while Shinji was remarkably sensual once he had fully immersed himself into the beat. Even when the songs selected grew in speed and difficulty, Shinji kept pace with him easily, and Kamio found himself reluctantly impressed at Shinji's newfound talent at DDR.

The song came to an end, and Kamio didn't have to look at the screen to know that they had definitely deserved an A for their efforts. It made him happy enough to bask in the praises and admiration from the crowd. Now, Shinji would definitely be able to appreciate him for his –

He paused.

Somewhere in the middle of the game, Shinji had apparently found the time to undo the first few buttons of his shirt. Kamio could definitely see where the sweat was pooling, rivulets of liquid that slid into the small hollow above his collarbones. The white shirt he wore was slick with sweat, clinging to his lean form and offering their audience an eyeful whenever he moved and caused his shirt to ride up higher on his body. Kamio fairly snarled when he saw several girls – and a couple of guys at that – rake Shinji over with their eyes. It was almost indecent, how they looked so appreciatively at other people's property. The moment one of them moved to approach Shinji, however, he tugged Shinji behind him protectively and narrowly avoided baring his teeth at the intruder until she moved away.

Kamio shook his head in disbelief as he pulled his best friend out of there. Those eyes were as guileless as ever, oblivious to the interest that he roused in the crowd. So much for his plans to win Shinji over with his killer dance moves. Another brilliant plan had been foiled, but Kamio found that he didn't quite mind after all, not when _he _was the only one walking away from that arcade with his arm around Shinji.

It was definitely time for Plan C.

* * *

END CHAPTER

A/N: I am having way more fun with this chapter than I had expected! R&R to let me know if they were OOC? If anyone is kind enough to find a detailed fact-file on Kamio and Shinji for me, I'd really appreciate it since I couldn't find enough information on them. :(


	3. La Vie En Rose

_"__Des __yeux__ qui font __baisser__ les miens, __un__rire__ qui se __perd __sur __sa __bouche -  
__Voilà__ le portrait sans __retouche__ d__e __l'homme __auquel __j'appartiens__."_

Kamio grinned madly at himself as he stared straight ahead at the screen. Shinji had given him an odd look when he suggested watching Jeux D'enfants, but he was sure that his knowledge of cultures and appreciation of foreign languages had raised him a step or two higher in Shinji's estimation. As far as dating went, this was what couples did, wasn't it? Although he didn't think Shinji fully grasped the point though, when he just gave Kamio a patient look, and asked him why on earth he would want to remove a perfectly comfortable armrest and substitute it for a possible elbow and/or arm in his ribs.

Nevertheless, Kamio gave himself a pat on the back for his obsessive dedication in watching Shinji instead of the movie. His fingers were politely dangled over to his side of the chair, long, pianist fingers that only lacked a keyboard to perform their magic. And the movie didn't seem all that exciting anyway, something about 2 children who liked to dare each other a lot. Then, he stopped thinking about Shinji's slender fingers when he glanced at the screen and saw the lead actress wearing a bra OUTSIDE of her clothes. What kind of sick show did he sign them up for?

And Shinji's eyes were glued to the screen.

_Damn it! _He mentally kicked himself in the ass. Even though his best friend hadn't showed any inclination toward the other sex thus far, didn't mean that he was completely impervious to their charms. Why, why, why hadn't he read the plot synopsis? He had assumed that it was French, and therefore likely to be in black and white, involve a lot of still shots and have tons of cryptic dialogue that no one understood. In his planned scenarios, he had always wound up cuddling a sleeping Shinji, or whispering to him how boring the film was, or telling him how he'd like to make this a _permanent_ thing between them, and not focusing his attention on this strange…absurd… somewhat exciting…

Kamio cringed when the show came to its climax, and the man collapsed in the rain.

A quick glance at Shinji saw him sitting up stiffly in his seat, his expression stricken as his fingers curled deeply into the plush edge of the arm rest. He didn't look as bored as Kamio had hoped, but the blank expression on his face was rather disturbing. When the two lovers were slowly buried alive onscreen, Kamio gaped openly when he noticed the tears that coursed down the side of Shinji's face, before thanking god profusely that it was dark in the cinema and Shinji hadn't noticed him staring.

Shinji sniffled a little, and Kamio reached out instinctively for his hand, pretending not to notice when Shinji glanced at him.

Screw it, those confessions could wait.

* * *

END CHAPTER

A/N: I suck at comedy. Please don't kill me. TT

The lyrics were from the classic La Vie en Rose as featured in the movie, and Kamio was probably a little more romantic than he knew. XD

_"Eyes that gaze into mine, a smile that is lost on his lips -  
That is the unretouched portrait of the man to whom I belong."_


	4. Why, god?

From each lamppost, garlands of red and gold hung and shimmered when they caught the light of the traffic below. Glowing fairy lights swirled their way from post to post, alternating into glimmering silver-blue patterns and throwing twinkling spots onto the pavements. Christmas trees were place in every store, the largest towering over the smaller-scale shops at the central of the shopping district. It was a startlingly beautiful night out, the night skies almost crowded out by the wealth of light that dyed the city.

On the downside, it seemed that the whole of Tokyo was busy awaiting Christmas. There were the usual people who rushed frantically, fighting against the masses to complete their Christmas shopping. The crowds didn't faze him entirely, considering that Shinji appeared totally fine with Kamio placing his hand at the small of his back, guiding him through the throngs of people.

He had taken care to dress up for the night; washing and brushing his hair until it gleamed, throwing on a satin wine-red shirt that clung to his body, riding up his stomach whenever he had to stretch. Shinji had given him quite the dirty look when he had turned up at his door, muttering something about "attention grabbing", "and among the crowds no less!" He hadn't really dared to ask in case Shinji's spiel ruined the mood for the special night he had planned. Yet, Shinji didn't have anything to feel insecure about, considering how his chequered winter scarf and simple grey knitted shirt complemented the aristocratic tilt of his face. At that point, Kamio made a mental note to thank god fervently when he noticed that Shinji was wearing the black pants that clung to him very, very snugly. He had chosen them for Shinji and badgered him until the tensai had given in, despite swearing that the blasted article of clothing, a nightmare to pull on and off, would be buried in his closet for the next hundred years or so.

"Shinji, I have something to ask you!" he declared suddenly, a fit of paranoia overcoming him as he pulled Shinji to a stop. If he didn't say it now, he had the strangest feeling that even the large crowds wouldn't be enough to hide him from Fate's intervention.

"Hmm?"

This was it. This was Christmas Eve. This was a beautiful night and they were alone in front of the largest, brightest tree in the entire shopping district while carols were played in the background. This was Kamio's moment, and absolutely _no one _was going to ruin –

"WAI! I'm so glad we caught up with you nyah!"

"...goddamnit."

"E-Eiji! You shouldn't crash in on them like that! Ah, sorry about that. Eiji saw you guys earlier, and he insisted we come over to say hi and wish you merry Christmas!"

"...oh, Merry Christmas to you too, it's quite surprising that you managed to spot us among this crowd. Honestly, don't you think Christmas is just another occasion for the whole population of Tokyo to congregate in the shopping district and splurge on necessities which no one would ever buy on other non-Christmas related days?"

'"Exactly!! Oishi wanted to come down here though, he thought it'd be romantic or something – "

"Eiji! Don't say that so loudly!"

"_Why_, God?" Kamio demanded, shaking his fist at the sky.

* * *

END CHAPTER


	5. Failure Equates To Success

Christmas was over and they were busy at Shinji's house, finishing their holiday assignments before a new term in university began again. Kamio twisted his finger around the pen, watching it twirl from joint to joint. At least he was attempting to look interested in his work, unlike a certain tensai who sat in bed and languidly perused the latest tennis news in a sports magazine.

The pen skipped once, twice. Who really cared about schoolwork when daydreaming was more interesting anyway. Once he had gotten over the part of his memories where he wanted to die of frustration, it was bizarrely...fascinating just thinking about how Fate tended to throw all sorts of obstacles in his way.

What the hell? He was bored anyway.

"Will you date me?"

"Sure, why not?" Shinji replied pleasantly.

"Oh, okay then – WHAT?" he choked abruptly, sucking in a deep breath. Nothing had gone wrong! Nothing was disastrous with his declaration this time; there were no breaking tables, no threatening chefs, no cats, no cakes, no earthquakes or thunderbolts that threw themselves in his way!

Kamio groaned aloud. It totally figured that the ONE time he succeeded, had him sounding bored out of his flipping mind. Shinji was still looking so generally contented with life in general that he was really starting to freak out. Did he misunderstand? Was there a problem with his pronunciation?

"What's wrong?" Shinji glanced up at him. "You asked, and I answered. Unless of course you didn't really want me to agree, and now you're trying your hardest to think of a way to let me down gently."

"NO! Obviously that's not it, but why the hell are you so calm about everything? It'd be nice to have you look at least half as freaked out as I am about this!"

"…I do not understand you at all. You asked me out, took me to nice places, went on countless dates with me, and only now, do you start shouting at me to be excited and all. It's not even like we've not known each other for only the past 6 years. You've been asking me out on dates for the past few months, so I don't really think I'm the one who's missing something in the sequence of events here…"

Kamio gaped.

"YOU KNEW WE WERE DATING?!"

"_Of course _I knew. Why else would you have dragged me out to all those restaurants and movies you didn't even like? Come to think of it, you don't speak French, and you hate romantic shows! You mean we weren't dating? Really, what have we been doing all this time then?"

Kamio felt like burying himself in a hole somewhere in the ground to die. Peacefully. Alone.

* * *

END CHAPTER

A/N: It's finally completed! I'm pretty awful at happy stuff, so I hope this was alright for everyone!


End file.
